Somolu General Hospital denies fund mismanagement allegations

At Somolu General Hospital, we are committed to providing accessible and transparent healthcare services, especially for our indigent patients. We have noted with concern the recent allegations of poor fund utilization and lack of accountability concerning our indigent healthcare scheme. I wish to state unequivocally that these claims are inaccurate and do not reflect the diligent, transparent, and accountable manner in which this vital program is administered.

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I wish to respectfully clarify that the indigent fund scheme at our hospital has been implemented with a high level of diligence, transparency, and accountability.

The indigent fund, generously provided by the Somolu Local Government, is managed through a robust framework coordinated by our Social Welfare Department. We employ established socio-economic assessment protocols and require documented referrals to ensure that support reaches genuinely needy patients. Every disbursement is meticulously recorded and is subject to periodic internal reviews, with reports readily available to relevant authorities. The assertion that the fund was never up to two million naira (₦2m) and that a Comrade Monsur Akinyemi visited with complaints is simply untrue. We have always maintained an open door for oversight and engagement aimed at continuous improvement.

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It is important to note that there was never a time the fund was up to two million naira (₦2m) as stated in the letter. There was also never a time a Comrade Monsur Akinyemi visited the Welfare Department for any sort of complaints.

Furthermore, the narrative that indigent patients are denied care or medications is false. Our hospital dispenses available drugs to eligible indigent patients free of charge. While we acknowledge operational pressures, such as increasing patient numbers and referrals that sometimes exceed the scheme's scope, these are systemic challenges, not indicators of a lack of transparency or commitment. The scheme was initiated by the hospital management and later supported by the local government, with the fund recently increased to ₦3m by the current chairman. We remain dedicated to serving our community with integrity and compassion.

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The hospital does not chase away indigent patients; rather, the medical social welfare department uses a template to decide who is actually indigent to avoid abuse.